A Dangerous Wish
by Sterham Dance
Summary: Wishes have their bad sides too...and Skittery is about to find that out.
1. Waking Up as a Different Person

The Dangerous Wish

Chapter 1

"Happy Birthday, Skittery!"

"Aww…" Skittery grinned as his best friends, the Newsies, welcomed him at the door of the Lodging House, where they all stayed. Yes, today was Skittery's birthday- February 3rd. He had no idea when his REAL birthday was, so he just randomly chose his birthday to be on the 3rd of February.

"I got ya some new boots!" Crutchy handed Skittery a pair of brown boots that weren't too dirty and worn out. Skittery smiled gratefully. When you were poorer, you're more grateful when you get lowly items.

"Hey I got ya some cup thing ya might wanna use," said little Boots, giving an odd-shaped mug with a little crack at the side. Skittery grinned even wider as he accepted the present.

"Let's go upstairs- wese all got a surprise for ya!" the other Newsies were saying. Skittery went upstairs obediently and opened the door to their bedrooms.

"Why…" Skittery was almost speechless. There, in the middle of the room, was a table, and on the table was a nice little cake fit for only one person, and of course, it was for Skittery. There was only one candle in the middle, but who cares anyway? Skittery couldn't have been happier.

"Sarah made dat for ya," Jack was blushing a little. He was obviously very proud of his girlfriend. Skittery didn't reply. He just walked to the cake and sat down on the floor.

"Don't forget ta make a wish, Skits!" Mush yelled, but Skittery already knew that. He nodded quickly, then took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

_I wish I could be rich. _

Then, he blew the candle fire out. The Newsies clapped wildly and started singing a song. However, while they were gamboling, Skittery suddenly passed out and became unconscious.

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"Arrr me head hurts, me head hurts…" Skittery moaned. He closed his eyes shut, not intending to open them. He let his mind do the most work. _What happened? Oh yeah, it was me birthday… yesterday…yeah and I blew out the candle on my cake…I made the wish…and why is it so quiet? Hm maybe all da Newsies left foah woik…what happened aftah I blew the candle? Oh, and da Newsies started dancing…and…why in da woild is it dis quiet?? _Skittery opened his eyes wide suddenly, and gasped.

He was in the biggest four-post bed he had ever seen. It was complete with five fluffy pillows, a nice, bouncy mattress, the warmest blankets, furriest towels, and curtains around the bed, allowing a lot of privacy. Skittery almost fainted.

"W-what?" he managed to sputter out.

"Master Tidings, I see you're awake," a harsh voice could be heard from behind the curtains. Skittery jumped as the curtains suddenly opened. He felt a fresh, cool breeze.

"Huh?"

"Rise and shine, you woke up quite late today!"

Skittery turned to his left and saw a fat maid standing next to his bed.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm your fairy godmother," she said in a sickly sweet way.

"Really?" Skittery sat up in bed, gaping at the lady.

"NO! Snap out of it, Master Tidings, or I will have to call your parents up." the maid snapped.

"I…don't…have…"

"Get dressed or you'll be late for breakfast!" the maid rolled her eyes. She got out a pair of dark brown pants and a clean white shirt from a closet and put them on the bed. "Get dressed now," she ordered briskly and waddled out from the room. Skittery slowly got out from the bed and looked at a full-length mirror that just so happened to be there. He was dressed in a sissy-looking, light blue nightgown. His face and everything else was still the same, except he looked…cleaner. He took some time looking around the room. It was well furnished with brown tables, brown desks, brown closets, brown drawers, and of course, the bed he had woken up in. It was a fairly large room, MUCH bigger than the bedroom at the Lodging House.

_Shoes. Must be foah me. _Skittery put on some socks and shoes. He quickly changed into the clothes the maid had gotten out for him and peeked out from his room.

"Hurry up! What do you think you're doing, peeking out from your own bedroom? Are you scared that pirates are going to attack you?" the maid was standing outside the door, her huge face taunting Skittery. Skittery blushed and walked out, followinh the maid as she walked down a staircase and into the biggest room Skittery had ever seen. In the room was the longest table and there were two people sitting at the edge of the table. They were obviously a couple, both around mid-40s. The man had thin glasses and was wearing a very clean suit. The woman had a light brown gown on.

"Good morning, Jimmy," Skittery stared at the woman, who had spoken. Skittery blinked once, and then pointed at himself.

"Er…me?"

"Sorry ma'am, young Master Tidings doesn't seem to be in good condition today," the maid apologized. _What does she have ta apologize foah? _Skittery thought to himself.

"Didn't you sleep well?" the man spoke this time.

"Come, sit here Jimmy," the woman, Mrs. Tidings, pulled out a chair next to her. Skittery meekly walked to her and sat down. A few other maids and butlers started bringing food in front of Skittery. Skittery gasped and dug into the food. _Food, mm…food…_

"Why, Jimmy, are you alright?" Mr. Tidings laughed. Skittery looked up and decided to end this. This was only a very confusing dream.

"Ya know, I have no idea who Jimmy is, me name's Skittery, alright?!" Skittery cried out, food still in his mouth. It was alright to be rude- this was just a dream anyway.

Mrs. Tidings covered her mouth and tried not to cry out. "Howard, our son is sick," she said quietly to her husband. Skittery left the table and ran out from the room. He could easily find the door out.

"Why am I heah?!" Skittery looked up the house to find that it was the big house he was always lingering around, always wishing he could someday somehow live here. This house was very near to where the Newsies bought their newspapers…

"That's it!" Skittery brightened up and ran down the street to where the Newsies bought their newspapers everyday. Sure enough, he saw the Newsies, laughing and talking boisterously.

"Jack!" he waved his arms wildly. Jack Kelly looked up and saw Skittery running towards him. Skittery grinned and slowed his pace. To his shock, the Newsies were snickering and whispering among each other.

"What?" Skittery walked to Jack. "What's goin' on?" He was expecting Jack to say something that would solve everything but…

"What's a goody-goody boy like ya doin' heah? Ya doan't belong heah anyway," Jack laughed. Skittery backed up.

"Okay, I've got enough wid da joke, it ain't funny any moah!" Skittery laughed back nervously.

"Hm, ya got a problem?" Crutchy leaned forward. Skittery looked at them with begging, pleading eyes.

"Please, what's wrong wid ya all? It's me, Skitts!" Skittery gasped out. This was just all too strange.

"Skitts, who's Skitts?" the Newsies started muttering among each other.

"Oh," David said, giggling. "I guess this boy here wants to be a Newsie…right? So he thought up a Newsie name so that we would accept him."

"Ya know, we would always let ya in our Newsies group," Kid Blink grinned. Skittery tried to shake his head.

"N-no, I'm already a Newsie! Jack! It's Skittery!" Skittery yelled.

"Yeah, stop ya crying, you ain't no Skitts or Skittery. Youse the son of da high and mighty Howard Tidings. You're da kid, Jimmy, aren't ya? Rather pathetic, I always thought," Jack laughed, and all the other Newsies laughed a long. Skittery couldn't stand it. He ran back to the Tidings home.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.


	2. Confused in a Strange World

The Dangerous Wish

Chapter 2

"Oh my, Jimmy, are you fine?" Mrs. Tidings gasped as Skittery ran back inside the house. Skittery stared at her for a second, then backed away. He ran up to his…well, Jimmy's bedroom and threw himself on his bed. After a few minutes, he walked to the mirror and looked closely at himself.

"I look like myself," he told himself, checking for every little spot, blotch, and mole on his skin. His eyes and hair were still the same. Everything was the same. If he was the same, if he was the only one sane, then what was up with everybody else? He tried to remember more of what had happened.

_Yes, yes, I know. Yesterday was the birthday party. I got that figured out already. _He quickly flicked through his mind of all the scenes that had happened. _Yes, I already know I blacked out…and then…I woke up. In this bed. _

"This is not a dream, Skittery," Skittery told himself. This was no dream. This was just too real. _Or maybe…there was never a Skittery. No, snap out of it. That's just plain dumb, there is a Skittery, I AM SKITTERY! _Skittery felt dumb, telling himself that he's Skittery. Well, of course he was Skittery!

"It can't be that I'm sane and everyone else is insane. Maybe…I'm insane? No. Skittery existed. I existed! I've nevah been anyone else other than Skittery!" Skittery was yelling and suddenly frowned. Maybe someone had heard-

"Master Tidings!"

Skittery jumped a mile. He looked at the door to find the same old grouchy maid.

"What are you doing, yelling off like that!" she pushed him out of the room. "Go downstairs now to the dining room, and apologize to your parents! You scared them to death, and they thing you're mad, do you understand me? Mad! Now go!" the maid waggled her fat finger at Skittery.

"Ya know, ya ain't a maid, ya just an annoyin' fat gal who's woiking heah 'cause ya have absolutely no money and no hope in da woild! Who'se ya to ordah me around?" Skittery yelled back. _Wow. Being 'Jimmy' has advantages. _

"My, my, Master Tidings," the maid laughed mockingly, trying to look prim and proper when she was almost bursting with rage. "I've never seen you so-"

"I say yoah fired! Ya jus' get yoah stinkin' face outta heah!" Skittery roared.

The color from the maid's face ran out. She stood there, pale, breathless, and scared.

"W-what?" she asked in a meek voice.

"Youse fired! Ya doan't need ta say anything to me parents! Youse me maid, you obey me. You get yoahself outta heah, and doan't come back, ya heah me?" Skittery was actually enjoying himself. "I ain't mad, I'm jus' as sane as you are!" _If she was sane..._Skittery laughed to himself.

"I'm…fired? Master Tidings, I've been your maid since you were a baby-"

Skittery just glared at her. The maid sighed and waddled down the stairs. Soon enough, she walked out the door with two big bags. Mr. and Mrs. Tidings ran out from the dining room and up the stairs.

"Jimmy, what was all that commotion about?"

"I fired dat noisy lousy-"

"Jimmy!" Mr. Tidings said sternly. "Why did you fire Bertha? You should have talked with us! Was there something wrong?"

Skittery couldn't say anything. He walked past them hurriedly, leaving his 'parents' staring after him. Skittery ran out of the house once again, this time heading for the Lodging House. When he reached there, he burst in.

"Th-thiieef!!" Kloppman cried wildly, raising his arms up and down. "Where's my Newsies when I need them?" he demanded to himself. The old man was in a state of panic, walking around the whole place, now holding a stick to poke Skittery.

"Haha, Kloppman, I give up!" Skittery laughed, raising his hands in mock defeat.

"You'd better! Now get out or I'm calling the cops on you!" Kloppman eyed Skittery suspiciously.

"Huh? You kickin' yoah own Newsie out wid no place ta stay?" Skittery gasped. Kloppman walked closer to Skittery and stared at him.

"Hm? Whose you? Nah, you ain't Jack. You ain't Blink. You ain't Mush. You ain't nobody I know. Sorry, boy, but you'll have to find someplace else-"

"Kloppman! It's me! Skittery! Don't you recognize me?" Skittery grinned.

"Hm? You pretending to be a Newsie? Huh, Newsies now a days, tryin' ta find a place to sleep for free. Well, you ain't gonna cheat me! Get out, I say, get out!" Kloppman began to hit Skittery harder with the stick. Skittery hadn't known that the 70-year-old man was still that strong. Skittery ducked the final blow and ran away, leaving Kloppman feeling very proud.

Skittery kept running, looking back now and then, and without knowing, he hit into another boy.

"Hey! You watch where you're goin-"

Skittery was cut off when the boy looked up. Skittery gaped. The boy looked just like Skittery, except this boy was skinny, almost like a skeleton. His hair was not fine and nice like Skittery's- it was pretty thin and looked unhealthy. His eyes were paler than Skittery, but he could have been mistaken for a Skittery that had not eaten in a long time. The boy met Skittery's eyes and smirked for a second. Then he slowly disappeared, still having a sly smile on his face.

Skittery was gaping with his mouth wide open when he heard a voice behind him.

"Y-you alright?" he turned around to see a girl around his own age, who was trying very hard not to laugh. She was obviously rich, with all that lace and that fancy dress. She was smiling nicely, but her eyes were roaring with laughter. "Um…you were staring into space with your mouth open…I thought I'd want to tell you that other people are…watching you too, you know," the girl's eyes were laughing at Skittery. Skittery tuned back into reality and looked around. She was right. Other people, old men, young girls, middle aged men…even the DOGS were staring at Skittery. Skittery blushed incredibly and shrugged. He quickly waved to the girl and walked away quickly, trying to ignore the stares of the other pedestrians. The girl quickly caught up with Skittery.

"You're Jimmy Tidings right? Your father is so rich. How did he get that rich?" the girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Skittery. Skittery shrugged.

"Um…I don't know," Skittery managed to reply. Who was that boy? Was it a ghost? All sorts of questions were in his head right now, and yuck. He gets this annoying girl.

"You don't know? He went on a trip to South America and brought all sorts of priceless items back and sold them! I love that idea, maybe I'll try it next time," the girl's eyes shined. Skittery blinked.

"If you knew, why didja ask me?" Skittery looked at the girl.

"Hm, just making conversation," she said, flipping her blond curls over to one side. _Ugh, she's trying to look pretty. _Skittery couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"What?" the girl suddenly stopped walking. Skittery flushed. She saw him rolling his eyes.

"Oh…uh…no…nothing…I jus' wanted to…"

"Ask me out?" the girl fluttered her eyelashes, trying to look flattered.

"NO!" Skittery couldn't help yelling. The girl looked very disappointed. "Erm, sorry, uh…so I meant no…I mean I didn't mean…er…" _Think! Think of a good way to get rid of this…_

"That's alright, you don't have to be shy," the girl gently touched Skittery's arm. "You know you want to ask me out…" her voice faded off as she looked at Skittery, who was desperately thinking of a good way to escape from this girl.

"I ain't wasn't gonna ask you out or anything…c'mon, I don't even know your name, hey, you know, now isn't a very good time to…howja say it…be with me…?" Skittery tried to say in his politest manner.

"I'm Jennifer. Call me Jenny if you like," the girl smiled.

"Did…you hear what I said jus' now?" Skittery raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, you asked for my name, didn't you?" Jenny answered.

_Sigh. Just ask her out, Skits. Buy her a drink and dump her. _

"Ya wanna go foah a drink?" Skittery asked reluctantly.

"Drink? Sorry, I don't drink. I'm quite surprised you do, you being Jimmy Tidings," Jenny said quietly.

"ARGH! For the love of strawberry sundaes with fruit and cereal sprinkles and onion soup with garlic bread, jus' go!" Skittery cried out.

"My, you're quite poetic," Jenny replied. At that, Skittery ran for his life. He was always a fast runner, and he ran as far as he could. He found a secluded place where he could be alone. Jenny wouldn't find Skittery here.

Trying to catch his breath, he thought about that boy he saw. Who was that…? He remembered the boy's smirk. His haunting eyes. Worst of all, he looked just like Skittery, and that scared Skittery even more. And…he disappeared? Skittery laughed nervously. No, it was all just an imagination. He stared into the dark alley, imagining what would happen if the boy came suddenly-

A cold hand touched Skittery's shoulder. Skittery yelped and jumped around, and saw Jenny. Jenny stared at Skittery with big, blue eyes. Her eyes looked weird and fake.

"How did you get here that fast?" Skittery gasped. Jenny stared at him. Then, the ice broke.

"W-what?" Jenny blinked. There. Her eyes became normal again. Jenny blushed. "It's not that far you know. Anyone could walk here easily."

"Yeah right. It was far from where we were," Skittery smirked. "Who are you anyway? Yoah ain't human. I saw yoah eyes. Doan't think you can fool me. If you and da other starved guy who looks like me are in the same team trying to kill me, ya woan't…"

"What do you mean about my eyes?" Jenny smiled. Fakely. Skittery scowled and slapped her face hard. Skittery got a shock when he felt her face. It was cold, as if she was dead or something. It wasn't just, cold, it was icy. Terribly icy. Jenny turned red.

"Ya see! Ya tell me da truth right now or…"

Jenny suddenly grabbed Skittery's arm and jerked it behind his back.


End file.
